A perennial food plot for deer and turkey saves you from replanting every year and keeps forage on the ground for most of the season. Tecomate Monster Mix deer and turkey food plot seed is a proprietary blend of white clover, red clover and chicory that lasts 3 to 5 years. Here is what is in it and how to get it established.
What is in Monster Mix?
Monster Mix contains three Tecomate seeds: King Ladino White Clover, Rackup Red Clover and Champion Chicory. White clover brings highly digestible protein and has long been part of whitetail management in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast. Chicory boosts overall production, extends the growing season and adds plant diversity. Tecomate also notes that chicory provides tannins that benefit the rumen of deer.
The seed is pre-inoculated and includes Tecomate's seed coating for improved germination and plant health.
Key features of this perennial food plot
- Protein content: 22% to 28%
- Production for 3 to 5 years as a perennial blend
- Great for attracting and holding turkeys
- Withstands heavy grazing pressure
- Great for fall hunting plots plus high-protein forage in late winter and early spring
- Best on fertile, moist sites
Where Monster Mix fits best
Tecomate describes Monster Mix as regionally formulated and ideal for zones 1, 2 and 3. It does best on fertile, moist ground, so it is a good fit for bottom fields, field edges with decent soil, and plots you want to keep in production for several seasons. If your ground is dry, sandy or on a hillside, Tecomate's alfalfa-based Alfa-Feast is designed for those conditions instead.
The bag comes in three sizes. Tecomate's seeding rates are:
- 4 lbs plants 1/2 acre (Standside Series)
- 8 lbs plants 1 acre
- 25 lbs plants 3 acres (Manager's Line)
You can compare Monster Mix bag sizes on the product page.
How to plant Monster Mix
- Planting time: zones 1 and 2 in spring or fall; zones 3 and 4 in fall
- Site: a sunny location disked to a clean, level and firm seedbed
- Lime and fertilizer: lime if pH is below 6.5, and use a high phosphorous fertilizer at 200 to 300 lbs per acre
- Seeding: no-till drill, cultivate and broadcast, or cultivate and drill at 8 lbs per acre
- Depth: 1/8 to 1/4 inch in good moisture
Small clover and chicory seed is easy to bury. When broadcasting, cover seed by lightly dragging or cultipacking. Tecomate specifically notes that disking is NOT recommended for covering the seed. An Impact Implements cultipacker with weight tray is a good tool for pressing seed into a firm seedbed. Frost seeding is acceptable in colder climates.
Maintaining a clover and chicory plot
To keep the plot productive over its 3 to 5 year life, use a grass-selective herbicide or mow to about 6 inches high in spring and early summer. Re-fertilize at recommended rates based on routine soil samples, and overseed to refresh the plot. You can also overseed thin spots with straight King Ladino White Clover or Champion Chicory.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Monster Mix perennial food plot last?
Monster Mix is a perennial blend that lasts 3 to 5 years and grows through most of the year.
Is Monster Mix good for turkeys as well as deer?
Yes. Tecomate lists it as great for attracting and holding turkeys, along with year-round nutrition and attraction for whitetail deer.
Can I disk Monster Mix seed in?
No. Plant 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep and cover broadcast seed by lightly dragging or cultipacking. Disking is not recommended.
For a plot that feeds deer and turkey for several seasons, order Tecomate Monster Mix food plot seed and get your seedbed ready. See more options in our fall food plot seed mix collection. Questions? Contact us.